In 2005, Novocortex was asked by Rabobank Netherlands to launch its new product line – Financial Logistics – to 300 local bank offices. Normally, the bank management would send a newsletter to employees linking to an intranet page with product information. We decided to take bankers by surprise and to let them learn about the new product line by playing an online game.

In this article for the Identity magazine, we explore how local conventions influence branding strategies (conventions are unwritten rules that govern consumers’ perceptions of products and brands). One of our main conclusions is that brand managers should examine the nature of local conventions in order to understand how solid they are. When a convention is undergoing erosion in consumers’ minds, your brand has an opportunity to challenge it. By challenging a convention you can differentiate your brand from local brands and offer a new distinct value to consumers. Another conclusion is that providing consumers with new experiences can bring more succes in a foreign market that adapting current values of your brand to match local competitors. Read the article “International branding – understanding local conventions” below.

This was one of the most successful internet marketing campaigns done by Novocortex. Rabobank Netherlands asked us in 2005 to manage market introduction of a new online payment standard, called iDEAL. iDEAL was based on a simple idea – connecting online shops with internet banking applications of major Dutch banks. Novocortex was responsible for marketing iDEAL to web shops. The objective set by Rabobank was to get 150 shops on board in the first year. We managed to convince over 400 internet stores to connect to iDEAL via Rabobank by the end of 2005.

Novocortex contributed its expertise in marketing and business development to the U-specs project in 2005-2006. The project’s goal was to develop universal and affordable spectacles for people in non-industrialized countries, in order to improve their access to education and work. The project was initiated by the VU Medical Centre (VUmc) and the d.o.b. foundation. Novocortex was responsible for a business plan aimed to turn a product idea into a working prototype.